Bug on windshield (stock image)
Bug on windshield (stock image)iStock

An Israeli man from the Gush Dan region in central Israel received nearly four million shekels in a lawsuit after he crashed his car and suffered serious injuries in an accident the driver has blamed on an insect.

The driver, who was represented by attorney Yonatan Shuv, took his car insurance company, Menorah, to court after Menorah refused to compensate him for damages suffered as a result of the crash.

During the incident, the driver, who is in his 30s, crashed into a concrete pillar at the side of an intercity road at high speed. The driver suffered serious injuries as a result of the accident.

According to the lawsuit, the accident occurred after the driver was momentarily distracted by an insect which was flying around him inside the car as he was driving. During that brief distraction, the driver claims, he lost control of the car for a fraction of a second – just long enough to swerve into the concrete pillar.

An IDF helicopter was dispatched to the scene to evacuate the driver to a local hospital. The driver suffered multiple broken bones, along with other injuries leading to motor disabilities and scarring.

A high-income working in the hi-tech sector, the driver demanded Menorah compensate him for his physical injuries, which had impaired his ability to work. A court-ordered medical assessment gave the driver a disability rating of 68%, and since the accident, he has only been able to work part time.

According to a report Friday by Israel Hayom, Menorah has agreed to settle the lawsuit with the driver for 3.7 million shekels ($1.03 million), signing an agreement backed by the Jerusalem District Court.